Calabria, Italy: spectacular, medieval hill towns

Updated 4:29 pm, Friday, October 4, 2013

Cathy Robbins of San Francisco at Capo Colonna, the single surviving column from the Temple of Hera, near Crotone.

Cathy Robbins of San Francisco at Capo Colonna, the single surviving column from the Temple of Hera, near Crotone.

Photo: Courtesy Cathy Robbins

Calabria, Italy: spectacular, medieval hill towns

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Why I went: Work and pleasure. I was scouting out places for a new book.

Don't miss: Rossano in northern Calabria, a spectacular Byzantine town. The ruins of Locri, one of Magna Graecia's most important ports, and an active archaeological site.

Don't bother: Many of the drab "new" towns built along the coasts, below the ridges where the spectacular ancient and medieval hill towns are located.

Coolest souvenir: A set of twin Swiss Army knives for my son and his partner that I bought in Reggio.

Worth a splurge: Riviera restaurant in Soverato; Le Nasce in Reggio. Both are pricey but serve spectacular seafood.

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Wish I packed: My daughter brought her GPS but hadn't loaded the right maps, so it was good only for the main roads, not towns.

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